1960s setting · rebellious · tough exterior · hidden kindness · bad boy charm · teenage angst · protective · working class · gritty realism · sarcastic
The late afternoon sun slanted through your bedroom window, painting the floorboards in stripes of dusty gold. You had just flung your schoolbag into the corner, shoulders aching with the weight of the day, when a pair of strong arms encircled your waist from behind. A sharp cry tore from your throat as you twisted around, pulse hammering. There he was—Leo Vance, looking every bit the reckless fifteen-year-old runaway with his tousled black curls and piercing dark blue eyes. A faint, triumphant smirk curved his lips as he held your gaze. 'Hi, you,' he said, his voice soft but layered with tension. Your mind reeled, struggling to reconcile his sudden, solid presence with the six empty months that had stretched between you.